New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-02-14
CENTENNIAL OF COLUM]
A COLLEGE FOUNDED ny A LOTTERY.
WONDERFUL GROWTH OF THE INSTITUTION UNDER
pREsIDENT BARNARn

| WONDERFUL GROWTH OF THE INSTITUTION UNDEI
| PRESIDENT BARNARD
The class Of 's7 In Columbia College has the honor o.
being the Centennial Glass;" for the college trustees
have decided celebrate the hundredth
of the revival confirmation by the State Legislature
of the Royal Charter granted in 1884 for the establish
ment of Kings College, whereby Kings College became
Columbia College President Barnard Hamilton Fish
the Rev. Dr. Morgan Dix Joseph W. Harper jr, and ex
Mayor Seth Low have been appointed to make arrange
ments for the celebration April 13, and oraons, pro
cessions dinners cassmeetings and tho gathering oil
prominent from various parts OF the country Will
add In no small degree the interest of the occasion
The programme has not been definitely decided upon.
At what period the design OF establishing college In
this city was first seriously entertained is uncertain.
The earliest known OF such idea Is contained In the
records Of Trinity Church In 1703 the rector and
dens Of that church directed to wait upon Lord
Cornbury to ascertain what part "kngs
Farmc" then vested in Trinity Church. had been in
tended for the college which no designed to have built
Nothing importance done about the matter until
l740 when several laws passed In the colony for
raising money by OF lottery toward the found
ing of college. BY this f3,443 1ss. raised
and vested in trustees two OF whom members Of
the Dntch Reformed Church, Presbyterian, and
seven belonged 10 the Church of England.
Trinity Church then made offer OF. any reasonable
quantity OF the church farm (which not let out for
tho erecting and Of college" In 1884 the Rev Dr.
samue Johnson OF Stratford Conn., accepted the prc-
dency OF the college when II should be established and
the Same year the royal charter constituting Kings
College" passed the SEALS and named gov
ernors OF the college the Archbishop Of
Canterbury and the First Lord Commissioner
for Trade and Plantations who empowered TO act
by proxy the Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in
Chief OF the Province OF NewYork the oldest Councillor
Of the Province the Secretary the Attorney General the
Speaker OF the General Assembly and the Treasurer of
the Province the Mayor OF the City OF New York. the
tor OF Trinity Church. the senior minister OF the Re
formed Protestant Dutch Church. the ministers of the
Ancient Lutheran Church. OF the French Church and of
the Presby teIian and the president OF the college.
After the college was incorporated and capable of hold
Ing land trinity Church gave II piece OF land fronting
eastery in Churchst between Barclay and Murray sts
and running down to North River The land was given
on the condition that the Episcopal service should be
used In the college, aud that the president OF the college
should forever he "a member OF the Church OF England
In l7JG. the first building erected what Is
Collegepace. Two years Later the first class grai
ated eight young receiving the degree OF Bachelor
OF Arts The next year commencement was held, for
only student graduated Concerning this inter
esng class the college records state that six young
entered freshmen. or these. was graduated the
second in his third year went to Philadelphia College;
the hiad in the middle OF his second year into
the army. the fourth. after three years, went to mer
olandse" -; the NTH, after two years, event to pr-
Watering and the sixth, after three years, went TO
nothing"
In 1863 President Johnson resigned and tho Rev DIR.
Myles Cooper OF Queens College oxford was selected
his Dr. Cooper strong Tory and also
an able speaker and he reused the Indignation OF his
political opponents that night In May. 1775 they
ked his lodeng In the college buildings and would
probably have killed him had he escaped hafressed
the college fence reached the shore and remained
hiding all the day. until he could board the Eng
FT,,f Halt
land never TO return.
Dr. johnson in letter 10 q friend gives idea OF the
college as IL was during MS Administrations follows:
All students but those In medicine obliged 10 lodge
diet In the college. unless they exempted by the
governor president and the ednce Is surrounded by
high fence which also e1closes large court and garden.
and porter constantly attends at the front gate. which
closed 10 o'clock each evening In summer and In
the SInter after which hours the OF all that
in are delivered weekly 10 the president"
Just year after DR. johnson left the college the treas
urcr OF the college received a mcssnge from the Com
nittee Of safety" dcsng the college TO be prepared
within six days for the reception OF American troops
The students dispersed and the college turned
into barracks tho soldiers and shortly afterwad into
a military hospital During the entire Of the Revou
the college practically closed and her did
good service In the patriot cause. Such men John
Jay Robert Il Livingston. Gcuyerneur Morris, Egbert
Benson, Philip Van Cortlandt, Henry Rutgers. John
honor TO the memory Of Kings College.
In 1884 the college appointed committee Sc TO demand
and receive the late corporation OF the Kings COL
lego whatever property Ind belonged To IL. and act
was passed I'm the LEGISLATURE &" granting certain pryi-
lcges Ia the college heretofore called Kings College for
altering the name and charter thereof and erecting
University within this state and May 3. 1897 the
irst meeting Of the trustees Of Columbia College
held In the same year DR. William Samuel Johnson. the
son OF first president Of Kings College, and the frs,
patriot president Of Columbia College, was naugurated
During hts administration the medical department. which
had been started In 1867. was established upon nrin
basis by the appointment OF dean OF the faculty aud
sryernf medical professors
Dr. johnson resigned in 1900 and tho Rev. DIR.
wharton. OF Philadelphia. was elected president Ia
the beginning OF 1901. only 10 resign at the end OF
the Same year. lie was succeeded by DIR. Benjamin
nartncnt enjoyed at this lime the services OF Dr. David
iIo,ack professor OF botany and mneria medlca The
practical doctor collected an excellent library OF books,
and then Insisted that hs students ought to be taught not
merely books but from the living plants. and after
ire To provide botanical garden In 1901 he leased
the city corporation twenty acres OF ground then
miles" IL Is the property between Forty and
Tlfty.frst sta and between Fifth aud sixth This
land the state aferwari gave Ia the institution with the
provision that the college buildings should be removed
thlher within twelve years but nve years later this con
priaon of 10000 To ;he college The ground rents OF
portion OF thi, fihaye PROPERTY now form one of the
Upon the resignation OF DR. Moore the Rev. DR.. william
Harris was elected president and n onlco-tha OF
rroyist~was createi. rhe provos while that office
ised actual executive head OF tue college. tho
president nl dignity hoing tuar merely. The Rev DR. O.
Ma on Was elected TINS oioe because. being Pres
nyteri.n no cooli not undcr tue arranse meut
with Trinity Church. be mado president Dr. Mason
rrtlred In 1916 ter whicn DIR. Harris exercised
ths no wers wbls continuing to boar tho uile belong
ing TO the office OF president. until 1929. when lie
was sucoecdei by Wnm A. Duer. Who after
thirteen years turn succeeded by the hghtoned
gentieman" Professor ~ r. Moore. who had been libra
ran well professor for some years Upon the res
nation OF Dr Moore In 1si0 Charles King elected,
and when he resigned fifteen years later President f. A.
T. Barnard elected
For nearly hundred years the college had found Its
home In that "tne lime house" with the cupola which
the trustees had proudly erected In 1860 There had
been additions aud extensions but nj last commerce
encoachng upon the college property, aud the trustees
Locked around for home and settled upon the plot
west OF Fifthave between Forty ninth and Fieth sts.
Tho bnidngs sold aud The money was invested